Apiary.



Patented 0st. 29, 190|. C. 0. LETT,

API'ARY.

(Application led Dsc. 15, 1900.)

No. 685,337. y'

l(No Model.)

Nrrnn STATESI PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES OSCAR LETT, OF ECLECTIC, ALABAMA,

APIARY.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. es 5,337, dated october29, 1901. Application lfiled December 15; 1900. Serial No. 40.012. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES OSCAR LETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eclectic, in the county of Elmore and State of Alabama, haveinvented a new and useful Apiary,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to apiaries.

One of the objects of the invention is to proL vide means for supportingthe hives so that they will be practically inaccessible to the Variousclasses of insects and small animals that under ordinary conditions gainaccess to the interior of the same and despoil the contents and destroythe inhabitants.

Another object is to support the hives so that they are inspacedrelation to each other and are exposed to viewon all sides andtherefore freely accessible in all directions to the bees. At the sametime the hives are protected from the sun and rain.

A still further object is to provide a housing for the hives in whichthey may be inclosed during cold weather, thus secu rely protecting thebees. i

These several objects are accomplished by means of the construction setforth in the following speciication and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and While the construction thus described and illustrated ispreferred it is to be understood that it is open to change andmodification within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an apiary embodyingthe present invention with the hives unhoused and in their open oroperative position. Fig. 2 is avertical cross-sectional view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssectional view showing the hives inhoused position.

Similar numerals of referenoedesignate corresponding parts inthe severalfigures of the.

drawings.

In carrying out the invention as shown an inclosed loft 10 is provided,supported a suit able distance above the ground, so as to leave theintervening space open and free in all directions. Beneath this loft aresuspended a plurality of hives 11, which are so supported that they maybe readily raised into the same, as is more fully hereinafter set forth.The preferable construction of the loft is as fol lows: A plurality ofpairs of upright posts 12 are set firmly in the earth, and the upperends of each pair are connectedby horizontal supporting-beams 13, uponwhich are arranged the rafters 14 of the roof 15, said roof beingsuitably constructed to exclude both the air and rain. Depending fromthe eaves of the' roof 15 are the walls 16, which incline toward eachother. The lower edges of these walls are in substantially the samehorizontal plane, but are spaced apart to leave the longitudinal opening17. The ends of the loft are tightly closed by end walls 18, whereby acompletelyinclosed loft is formed having only the bot'- tom opening 17and proof against rain, snow,.

or drafts of air.

Suspended directly beneath the opening 17 of the loft are the hives 11.This is preferably accomplished by -securing pairs of dependinghanger-rods 19 to each of the horizontal supporting-beams 13, connectingthese rods by means of cross-bars 20, and support ing a horizontalplatform or table 21 upon these cross bars.' Upon this platform areplaced the hives 1l, which are preferably spaced a suitable distancefrom each other. This platform is arranged to be elevated, so that thehives will be housed within the loft 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Tothis end,

therefore, the cross-bars 2O are slidably' mounted upon the han ger-rods19, preferably by having said rods passing through suitable openings inthe crossbars. The rods are therefore provided at their lower ends withstops 22, which limit the downward movement of the bars. The platform 2lis of sufficient width to cover the bottom-opening 17, so that when thehives are elevated they are completely inclosed on all sides. In orderto hold the hives in their housed or elevated position, detachabletransverse locking bars 23 are adapted to be arranged beneath theplatform and have their ends suitably supported upon brackets 24,provided on the upper portions of the posts 12. A

The advantages of an apiary of this character will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art. In summer-time and when the weather is fairand warm the hives are lowered to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.They are then freely open to the outer world in all directions, and nomatter in what di- IOG rection the bees may return they will have readyaccess to their respective hives. At the same time the hives will beshaded from the sun and protected from the rain. Furthermore, bysuspending the hives in this manner they will be practicallyinaccessible to insects, mice, and the like. During cold weather thehives are elevated by any suitable means into the loft. In this positionthey are completely housed from the cold and dampness, as the platform21 closes the bottom opening.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apiary, the combination with an open-sided structure having aroof, ofaplatform suspended solely from the upper portion of saidstructure and disconnected from the side supports thereof, said platformbeing disposed beneath and spaced from the roof, and a hive arranged onthe platform.

2. In an apiary, the combination with an open structure having a roof,of hive-supporting means adjustably suspended from said structure anddisposed beneath the roof, whereby the hives carried by the supportingmeans may be arranged contiguous to the roof or in the open portionbeneath the same.

3. In an apiary, the combination with a housing, of hive-supportingmeans movably connected to the housing, and means for supporting thehives carried thereby either exterior to or within said housing.

4. In an apiary, the combination with an esseri? inclosed loft, ofhive-supporting means movably connected with the loft, whereby the hivescarried by the supporting means may be arranged beneath or elevated intosaid loft, and means for holding the supporting means in elevatedposition.

5. In an apiary, the combination with an inclosed loft having a loweropening, of a hivesupporting platform formingaclosure for said opening,means connecting the loft and platform, and devices whereby the hivescarried by said platform maybe arranged exterior to or within the loft.

6. In an apiary, the combination with an open structure having aninclosed loft, of a hive-support, means for alternately suspending thesupport in the open portion of the structure beneath the loft and injuxtaposition to the same, whereby the hives carried by said support maybe disposed either beneath or within said loft.

7. In an apiary, the combination with a loft having a bottom opening, ofsupporting-rods depending from said loft, a hive-supporting platformslidably mounted on the rods, and means whereby the platform may beelevated to close said opening and support the hives carried by saidplatform within the loft.

8. In an apiary, the combination with an open structure, of an inclosedloft forming the roof of said structure and having a bottom opening,supporting-rods depending from the loft, a platform slidably mounted onthe rods and adapted to close the bottom opening of the loft, and aplurality of hives arranged upon the platform, and means for support ingthe platform in different positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmysignaturc in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES OSCAR LETT.

Vitnesses:

W. O. RoBBINs, H. J. LANCASTER.

